15-week old hen or a roo?

[Geena]

I don’t know the breed. It was an extra. I thought it was an Easter egger because it had chipmunk pattern as a day-old chick like the other Easter Eggers, but I just plainly don’t know the breed. But within a couple of weeks it was clearly larger than all the others.

She looks like she might be a colored broiler, like a Dixie Rainbow, they get quite a bit larger and reach maturity much faster than laying hens.

 

[Jmom4]

That’s the same conclusion I was just coming to. I came across some pics of some red rangers and the like and she looks a lot like them. It would also explain why she doesn’t really roost like the other gals. Does this mean she won’t live long?

 

[Redhead Rae]

Colored broilers don't have the same problem standard broilers do. Many people keep them as layers or keep the largest and breed them to each other for next year's harvest.

 

[Redhead Rae]

Let me put it this way, with standard Cornish X birds, you can expect at least 50-75% to die before one year. The smallest are the ones that survive past that.

Colored broilers are a lot closer to heritage breed birds, but they grow faster and bigger because of hybrid vigor. Less than 5-10% or so might die before 1 year.

I think Pat's chances of survival are really good.

 

[Jmom4]

Pat is definitely a precocious hen. I can’t believe we got an egg already!

She laid it in the run late in the afternoon.

 

[Redhead Rae]

Pat is definitely a precocious hen. I can’t believe we got an egg already!View attachment 1506355 She laid it in the run late in the afternoon.

 

[Kayla's Lunch]

Yay Pat!